DuskySnow

16/10/2021

Belated but here we go!
I’m about 20 books behind my quota so I’m pulling out all the stops to get this done!

10/10/2021

Halloween is coming up so it’s spooky game month! Taking requests for the channel!

05/01/2021

It’s here

04/01/2021

No early copy this time but I will be reviewing The High Republic series with my day one copy.

This is primarily because I’m coming to the end of reviewing the Time Lord Victorious series and with another lockdown in full swing it was time to venture onwards.

New Doctor Who book review by the end of the week as well, don’t worry I am keeping on top of it I just need to get around to editing them!

02/01/2021

Main Range 2 - Phantasmagoria Review:

Another example of a story that takes a bit too long to get going although Peter Davison’s performance did pull me through to the end.
Something about a no nonsense Doctor against an over the top villain made for an entertains hour and a half.

Unfortunately for the listener it doesn’t take too long to figure out what’s going on and leaves the remaining parts for the Doctor to catch up making certain encounters a bit awkward.
With that being said the final part can’t be denied as a fun traditional romp with the Fifth Doctor and that was enough for me.

6/10

01/01/2021

Monthly Range 1: The Sirens Of Time Review:

For the first in a long line of adventures I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this story.

With that being said, starting with a classic style multi Doctor story is something I’m not that happy with.
Unlike more recent iterations of these tales this version takes a note out of the Five Doctors book by featuring the multiple Doctors around each other as little as possible although I will say that their individual parts leading up to their inevitable meeting were fun mini-ventures.
It’s unfortunate then that the bulk of the last part is just exposition but the banter between Doctors, whilst brief, is a joy to listen to.
The three more than prove that their time in the role is far from over and as a starting point to future adventures, listening to their portrayals alone makes me excited for what lies ahead even if this pilot story isn’t the best.

7/10

17/12/2020

One more Ninth Doctor story left... didn’t think I’d feel somber about this but I kinda do...
I post a ranking list soon of his books and some thoughts on the series thus far.

17/12/2020

https://www.duskysnow.com/blank-1/star-wars-episode-five-the-empire-strikes-back-review

If it was hard to find a flaw with A New Hope then The Empire Strikes Back is a masterpiece. The excellent score by John Williams, Darth Vader giving us a monstrous performance, Yoda giving life lessons that are still quoted to this day, and the gang in peak banter mode. R2D2 is hands down MVP with....

17/12/2020

https://www.duskysnow.com/blank-1/doctor-who-new-series-adventures-only-human-review

After hearing good things about this story I was interested. I have now read it and I can officially say this is a great story but not my favourite. My theory is that people love this tale because it’s written like a Doctor Who episode, and a great one at that. This does bring forth my personal is...

16/12/2020

More Time Lord Victorious reviews shortly!

https://www.duskysnow.com/home/search/time-lord-victorious

Welcome to the homepage of TheChillOutZone.

16/12/2020

Check out my Star Wars film reviews this far!

https://www.duskysnow.com/home/search/star-wars

Welcome to the homepage of TheChillOutZone.

16/12/2020

A big mega vlog video is on its way soon covering most of the days I haven’t uploaded.
Been a busy month!

01/12/2020

With everything going I figured it’s about time I brought this back:
24 Hour Child’s Play Livestream coming soon!
The only thing left to do is decide what game I’ll be streaming. I’ll leave the franchise up to you guys and we’ll narrow it down from there next week!

What's your opinion? Vote now: Mario, Fallout, Assassin’s Creed, Tomb Raider

01/12/2020

2021 will see me jump out of my comfort zone and attempt to review every episode of the Doctor Who Monthly Adventures so far.
Each episode will receive a written review here with a several part video series reviewing the episodes 50 at a time.

Is this project insane?
Well yeah! But I’m going to do my best so stay tuned!

29/11/2020

A vlog compilation of Days 9-11 will be up soon as there wasn’t too much going on.

Using the days I’ve gained to chill for a bit before jumping into the next book review, which I’m a good chunk through.

Gonna get my first YouTube vid on the topic up soon as well.

Enjoying the binge so far with a few hiccups here and there.
I think this is a testament to the writers of the show. At the end of the day regardless of what they’ve written, their vision gets whittled down and moulded by the showrunner so to get a completely unfiltered story by these amazing people is fantastic.
Sometimes, of course, it does lead to the opposite end of the issue where their freedom has lead to some questionable decisions although I cants say a single book has been dreadful as of yet.

24/11/2020

Book Challenge Day Eight Thoughts

https://www.duskysnow.com/blank-1/doctor-who-new-series-adventures-winner-takes-all-review?fbclid=IwAR1bWPhhXTzHdrTC8lsvJkuHlfj5pN77c5tmG2jdawZjpcLstWtU6asmfsc

23/11/2020

Book Challenge Day Seven Thoughts!

Never thought I’d read through something as quick as this before!

23/11/2020

Book Challenge Day Six Thoughts

20/11/2020

Book Challenge Day Four Thoughts

20/11/2020

Bit belated but here we are:
Book Challenge Day 3 Vlog!

The Clockwise Men Review:

https://www.duskysnow.com/blank-1/doctor-who-new-series-adventures-the-clockwise-men-review

18/11/2020

Book Challenge Day 2 Thoughts

17/11/2020

First day of the Book Challenge, came a day late, here are my thoughts so far!

13/11/2020

Time Lord Victorious: DALEKS! 01: The Archive of Islos Review

Cute that the BBC decided to upload a fan film using footage of players role playing using what seems to be Gary’s Mod.
What?
You mean this is?..
Oh no...

I know there are diehard Whovians that are trying to defend this by saying “only the animation is bad and just because of that you’re saying it’s all bad!”
The thing is the cinematography, editing and narrative are dreadful as well.

The Daleks want access to an archive and the Robots guarding it don’t want them to have it. Rinse and repeat this conversation for the majority of the episode with some sharp jump cuts to a Call Of Duty Theatre Mode style camera watching a one sided Team Deathmatch, or at least it’s the same quality. The final moments are Daleks being Daleks and that’s it.
That’s the episode.

The main three Daleks are somewhat fun to listen to only because they’re the same Daleks from “The Enemy of My Enemy” but everything else is subpar at best.
Besides from that this was a hard 13 minutes to watch.
If it was done by a fan then I would give some praise but this is the BBC. The people that make the show this spun off from. The BBC show with the biggest budget...

I assume these will be weekly so I’ll keep up-to-date however I’m not expecting much to change if this is standard they wanted up to see.

2/10

13/11/2020

Time Lord Victorious: The Enemy of My Enemy Review

McGann continues to prove to me that he may be the most powerfully acted Doctor I’ve ever experienced.
The way he can turn on his whit and humour before turning to his serious negotiator in a blink of an eye whilst maintaining the same level of momentum is captivating. Here he carries the same power and some how still comes through even though he’s essentially talking to himself or the same Daleks for a good 90% of this story.
Speaking of the Daleks, it’s hard for me not to think that these might be the most expressive Daleks I’ve ever heard. Just picture this: several different Daleks all with different characters and motives and yet despite to one man doing all of their voices I could not only tell who was who but also hear the differences in their characters through their voice.

The narrative itself is great as well with it being the first tale in the overall saga that I can call perfectly satisfactory as a standalone story and even a great entry point for the series show far. On the other hand it’s amazing set up for the Eighth Doctor’s involvement for what’s to come!

This was exactly what this series needed!

9/10

13/11/2020

Time Lord Victorious: Monstrous Beauty #3 Review:

The final part to this three parter was something I assumed would tie up the Ninth Doctor’s tale of how he ended up where he does in the first Time Lord Victorious novel however the ending of this issue tells us a very different story.
For that one reason alone I wasn’t too pleased with the direction this adventure went as each part felt disjointed to not only each other but anything grand it tried to conjure in order to get the reader to ask more questions ended with a wrap up so quick I questioned not just the answers I was given but the whole point of this in the first place.

I won’t knock this as a perfectly fine mini adventure with some old faces but I felt like I was handed a paraglider followed by a jet ski and ended up with with a colouring book. Thrilling, flashy and mindless.

The explanation to Ninth’s role is vague and I assume the next novel is going to sort that out but then I can’t give this mini series any credit for something a future book might do.

6/10

10/11/2020

I’m going to review every New Series Adventures Doctor Who novel and I decided to vlog my journey and make it into something bigger by the end of that journey wish me luck!

18/10/2020

Time Lord Victorious: Monstrous Beauty #2 Review:

Now that the Doctor is in the swing of things this is less of a expository issue and more of a action one.
It does well enough to position the Doctor in an interesting position but the character rarely get a chance to chat or breath unfortunately.

It’s not like I don’t know why as this is just a small chapter in a magazine. The comic is the enticement and the magazine itself is the tag along so expect to see the author’s priorities focus mainly on condensing this to add more trivial “did you know” pages.
A shame too as a full 30 page issue of each chapter would’ve been perfect for this but instead I see myself having to subscribe to this for a few months just to be in the loop about where the Ninth Doctor fits into this whole thing.

With that aside, Vampires aren’t new to Doctor Who but it’s nice to see that the writers and artists are making full use out of them. Their ship designs are gorgeous and their actual character designs have been quite nice to look at so far.

In the end this is an entertaining continuation of the previous issue however waiting a month for something that ends in a near similar cliffhanger to the first issue makes this feel slightly insulting. Especially if you’re a fan of this Doctor and were excited to see his tale unfold.

7/10

17/10/2020

Time Lord Victorious: He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not Review:

That theme song though!
I was half expecting this audio drama to reuse the Eighth Doctor’s theme but to make one, hopefully for the Time Lord Victorious series, is a great idea and it’s bombastic enough to stick with me.

In terms of the actual drama itself, I liked it.
I have a soft spot for McGann’s performance and genuinely see him as one of the best Doctor’s. The only thing his character leaves to be desired is placement in his timeline. McGann’s Doctor has been through more than most and his performance breathes this dynamic. Once a romantic and a poet, the more recent tales of the Eighth Doctor have been quite grim and his darker persona fits this quite well. Here however he seems a bit tired but still the optimistic. It’s hard to place where he’s meant to be in his time.
Regards it’s a good performance.

This story focuses primarily on a wedded couple being hunted by Brian the Ood from The Knight, The Fool and The Dead. Hearing a somewhat chipper Ood is quite a humorous experience but considering he’s also an assassin drives his character to both a funny and dark place at the same time. The more I think about his personality the more it feels perfect to rival McGann’s Doctor.
The actual narrative is fine enough and serves its job to introduce the Eighth Doctor to Brian and set up the next story along.
Characters play their parts and the idea of a space western in a very literal sense is a fun idea with the pieces in play.

As a small episode in a larger series that leaves room for excitement for the things to come.

8/10

17/10/2020

Time Lord Victorious: Defender Of The Daleks #2 Review:

Much better than its predecessor, the Doctor and Dalek duo make for a fun time however the threat they’re up against seems very Moffat inspired, in the sense that it’s this big potentially universe ending threat that gets removed by a flick of a switch.

I assume the point was to open the doors to this new alternative universe so the whole Time Lord Victorious storyline can commence but I can’t help but feel that this answer asks for a little leap along with a whole load of questions that I’m not sure will be answered.

The portrayal of the Tenth takes a bit of a backseat here as the Dalek seems to get the development. For that new insight I was glad I read this and I do hope this wraps up neatly rather than just feeling like a useless cog in this machine called the Time Lord Victorious.

8/10

16/10/2020

Time Lord Victorious: Short Trip - Master Thief Review:

First time listening to a Short Trip and I was slightly confused to start of with. Sound effects are of the same from the audio dramas except this is more like an audio book. An audio book with folly. Once I got into it the experience was a fine one overall.
Jon Culshaw does a great job with what he’s given and his Master impression is definitely fitting for a portrayal of the classic incarnations, this extends to the next story as well.
It’s at this point where I’m starting to question the actual purpose of this event. Yes, the main story is apparent to me now thanks to the novel however the deep dive into morality itself, along with the bizarrely mature moments, is something that I never expected to see in Doctor Who so explicitly.

Much like the Tenth Doctor’s battle with morality, this small story takes the Master through a similar tale however the cause is far more different. It’s one I like for a smaller story but the concept seems slightly short lived, even if that is the point of this story.
The narrative was an enjoyable dive into the classic Master’s psyche whilst answering a question that didn’t really need one but surprisingly worked.

Yeah, I had fun with this under-an-hour tale and as a thematically connected story it was a great time.

9/10

Short Trip - Lesser Evils Review:

An oddly belated close up at the Kotturuh, this tale is an interesting look at their mindset however it feels almost too much like a near hour long conversation.
Hearing them for the first time is a great moment however the conversation fails to be too exciting as it’s an argument that has been placed forward before.
The older and wavering Master is a delight to listen to as he’s face to face with a depiction of Death itself. This is especially fun when the Master is the one defending a life form for a change.

If you’re into debates about why life matters then this is a great listen however it should be noted that this adds very little of value with the deep dive only proving to be exactly what was on show in the pre-existing novel.
A fine enough addition to this small collection however.

7/10

16/10/2020

Time Lord Victorious: The Knight, The Fool And The Dead Review:

Firstly I want to state this, I’m reading and consuming the material surrounding this event in the order they were released. With that being said it’s about time I started the ask the bigger questions such as why this is all happening.
Thankfully the novel does answer these questions however it has only done so for some of the Doctor’s timeline with a few other stories and their placements still in flux.

With that being said let’s discuss this novel.

My relationship with Doctor Who novels has been quite mixed over the years. I haven’t venture too far into them but that’s mainly down to the few I’ve read not being particularly worth my time.
Here is something quite different. This book felt like it was almost written for me.
Lovecraftian monsters with a tale that’s practically screaming Stephen King. Yeah, I was hooked.

The idea of death is used to great effect with echos from The Waters Of Mars throughout acting as a lovely tone setter for the Doctor himself. The idea that this is so far back in time that death is treated like a disease rather than the end to the cycle we called life fascinated me.
The concept of this story has the Doctor, high strung, with the knowledge that he’s the last Time Lord and that makes him his own personal rule setter, but in high doubt as Adelaide’s su***de from Waters Of Mars follows the Doctor like a bad omen.
What better then to see the Doctor come face to face with what he believed he was the master of. Death itself.

So far it sounds like a dark tale, and it does have more in common with the Big Finish stories than the show, however there’s enough levity with the Tenth’s humour and my new favourite who character of all time, Brian The Ood, along with Mr. Ball of course (no I’m not making that up).

My main issue with this novel stems from its size. Around Chapter 5 I realised things were still being explained, and with this being a foreign place with foreign concepts to the Doctor, the lack of the Doctor’s more prominent whit does leave an element of Doctor Who missing.
Tenth is still the smarty pants he always was but the joy and wonder from knowing something before someone else, especially the audience, is gone here.

Doctor Who isn’t much with its fair share of monsters and the Kotturuh fit this story extremely well. Sharing similar ideals as the Doctor currently makes them the perfect advisory, along with a nice sledgehammer to the Doctor’s keeper of time attitude.

The length of the novel was something I initially had doubts over and that feeling hasn’t really gone. It’s clear this is a story in a larger series of events so keeping it self contained is a sensible idea however it’s hard not to feel worried that some necessary piece of the larger puzzle is going to be in another form of media.
The novel also makes it apparent this is only the first part in the story and, whilst I’m looking forward to seeing how it wraps up, there’s still a wealth of content to consume in between.
Maybe this complaint is more focused on the potential traps multimedia projects can fall into as accessibility is key.

The ending is one I’d like to sit on for the time being as I feel the direction they take the Tenth Doctor’s character is one that was hinted at but not to the levels shown here. It’s a take I like but I don’t know if the build up was enough.
The final pages are a particular joy if you’ve consumed some of the accompanying material however I still feel the turn was enough to excite me regardless, even if an audio drama version of this would’ve excited me just for those final moments.

With all of that being said, I had a lot of fun with this book, more than I thought I would have, so it has me eager to see what’s to come from this series!
8/10

16/10/2020

Time Lord Victorious: Monstrous Beauty #1 Review:

Okay, now this thing is moving.
Firstly, any piece of media that has the Ninth Doctor in it is a partial win for me as the character is unlike any incarnation before or after and the same is true here. A true northern feel is placed back into the character which works wonders for the story their telling here.

Speaking of the story, I finally have an idea of what this arc is about even if it brings up a few questions. We’re in the Dark Times once again except this location has the Pre-Time Lords in battle with another alien species. Something that truly intrigues me is that this means the Doctor knew that the Time Lords weren’t always that. I’m not sure if this is something I’m fully onboard with because it feels retroactive. Bare in mind the Whoniverse is larger than I can consume in the time I started this review but I feel like this is a pretty game changing thing and something that probably should’ve been implemented into the TV cannon before their grand screw up last series. I don’t know if it would’ve helped but at the least it would’ve set up a bit more context.

Rose is back here and... yeah she’s still Rose. Never thought much of her besides from a POV for New Who to start with as future companions are far more memorable in my opinion but she’s written to how I remember her.

The creep factor on the aliens, called the Cucurbites, struggles a bit for me when they are revealed to be stereotypical vampires, at least the Vampires in Venice vampires were creepy fish people as well to change things up.

This is another issue one so the bigger picture hasn’t kicked off just yet however there were enough thrills to be had in this one story the keep me happy reading it.
8/10

16/10/2020

Time Lord Victorious: Defender Of The Daleks #1 Review:

As a frequent comic reader this was a little awkward for me. I feel like certain tie in material tend to feel like they can get away with being lesser because it’s not the main event. Here it’s slightly different because this is meant to be something larger. It’s a trans media event which generally means every bit as important. Maybe you’ll understand when I describe this issue with as few spoilers as possible.

If you enjoy the thought of the Tenth Doctor just bantering with a load of Daleks for a bit then the first 3/4ths of this are for you. I swear A chunk of this was just exposition and if it’s all to build up other bits of the tale then fine but as the first part in a 2 part comic special it didn’t really go anywhere until the final few pages.
The concept of there being something that the Daleks fear feels like another “nothing should be able to get through the Tardis” moment that my mind just accepted and moved on. What was really enticing was the idea of a Dalek companion for the Doctor which, for as little as it was in this, was a fun time.
The threat itself didn’t look too menacing, especially as it’s a threat for the Daleks apparently, but there’s another issue that could change my mind.
In terms of the Doctor’s portrayal I thought he was a little too quip-y for my liking. It’s like someone said Tennant was the sarcastic one and that’s all they took away whilst leaving the commanding and strong drama moments at the door. Sure he scowls here and there but the Deadpoolisms pop in eventually and it started to feel more like a stand up routine.

All in all I was a little disappointed but considering both issues are £7 together on Comixology as long as the next issue is an improvement I’d say you could do worse.
Overall I’m a bit more curious as to where this whole event is going so it succeeded in the parts where it needed to.
7/10

15/10/2020

As I’m doing some Big Finish reviews on here I figured it was about time I brought something over to my site and YouTube channel.
This event is quite a curious one for me as, no matter how deep I dive to dig up information as to what this is, I have no idea what the point of this is.
A trans media story is a cool idea but a narrative or theme is needed to connect them all together and as far as I can tell that theme is the “Dark Times”, a point supposedly so far back in history that time travellers were locked out of until now.

I cover the tales I can access, novels, comics, audio dramas and shows, however the more interactive stuff like escape rooms is a no go for me right now.
Individually my thoughts will left on here with larger reviews done in a video format later on.
With that being said I’m prepped and ready so I’ll let you know how I get on!

19/05/2020

In case you missed the premiere:

https://youtu.be/QlVJs1gS7Q8

It won the vote so here we go! The first four games featuring the yellow sponge!

19/05/2020

Video is coming out in 30ish mins

15/05/2020

Welcome to my Community Page where I will place polls as suggestions for future videos alongside a number of channel updates occasionally!
Hope you all enjoy your stay!